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The Pagemaster
The Pagemaster is a 1994 American live-action/animated fantasy adventure film starring Macaulay Culkin, Christopher Lloyd, Whoopi Goldberg, Patrick Stewart, Leonard Nimoy and Frank Welker. The film was produced by Turner Pictures and released by 20th Century Fox. The film was written for the screen by David Casci, based on a 6-page pitch by writer Charles Pogue entitled Library Days, presented to Casci by producer David Kirschner. The film was directed by Joe Johnston (live action and Pixote Hunt and Glenn Chaika (animation), and produced by David Kirschner and Paul Gertz. Plot Pessimistic Richard Tyler lives life based on statistics and fears everything. His exasperated parents have tried multiple ways to build up the courage of their son, but to little success. Richard is sent to buy a bag of nails for building a treehouse. However, Richard gets caught in a harsh thunderstorm and takes shelter in a library. He meets Mr. Dewey, an eccentric librarian who gives him a library card, despite Richard's protests he doesn't want a book, since he's only there to escape the storm. Searching for a phone, Richard finds a large rotunda painted with famous literary characters. He slips on some water dripping from his coat and falls down, knocking himself out. Richard awakens to find the rotunda art melting, which washes over him and the library, turning them into illustrations. He is met by the Pagemaster, who sends him through the fiction section to find the library's exit. Along the way, Richard befriends three anthropomorphic books: Adventure, a swashbuckling pirate-like book; Fantasy, a sassy but caring fairy tale book; and Horror, a fearful Hunchbook with a misshapen spine. The three agree to help Richard if he checks them out. Together, the quartet encounter classic-fictional characters. They meet Dr. Jekyll who turns into Mr. Hyde, driving them to the open waters of the Land of Adventure. However, the group is separated after Moby-Dick attacks, following the whale's battle with Captain Ahab. Richard and Adventure are picked up by the Hispaniola, captained by Long John Silver. The pirates go to Treasure Island, but find no treasure, nearly causing a munity. Fantasy and Horror return and defeat the pirates. Silver attempts taking Richard with him, but surrenders when Richard threatens him with a sword. As Adventures insulted Horror, it caused the hunchbook to get captured by Lilliputians from Gulliver's Travels. Adventure saves him and they make up. In the fantasy section, Richard sees the exit sign on the top of a mountain. However, Adventure's bumbling awakens a dormant dragon. Richard tries to fight the dragon with a sword and shield, but the dragon swallows him. Richard finds books in the dragon's stomach and uses a beanstalk from the Jack and the Beanstalk to escape. He and the books use it to reach the exit. They enter a large dark room where the Pagemaster awaits them. Richard berates the Pagemaster for the horrors that he suffered, but the Pagemaster reveals the journey was intended to make Richard face his fears. Dr. Jekyll, Captain Ahab, Long John Silver and the dragon reappear in a magical twister congratulating him. The Pagemaster then swoops Richard and the books into the twister, sending them back to the real world. Richard awakens, finding Adventure, Fantasy and Horror next to him as real books. Mr. Dewey finds him, and, even though the library policy only allows a person to check out two books at time, lets him check out all three books just this once. When Richard leaves, Mr. Dewey gives a smile, hinting that Richard's entire adventure was not a dream and that he is the Pagemaster; adding onto this possibility is that Richard was missing his jacket when he awoke. Richard returns home a braver kid, sleeping in his new treehouse. Adventure, Fantasy and Horror appear as silhouettes on a wall, and Fantasy creates a night light. Adventure says a kiss would make the ending good, yelling in anger when Horror does so instead of Fantasy. Cast Live-action * Macaulay Culkin as Richard Tyler * Christopher Lloyd as Mr. Dewey * Ed Begley Jr. and Mel Harris as Alan and Claire Tyler respectively Voice cast * Christopher Lloyd as the Pagemaster * Patrick Stewart as Adventure * Whoopi Goldberg as Fantasy * Frank Welker as Horror and the dragon * Leonard Nimoy as Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde * George Hearn as Captain Ahab * Jim Cummings as Long John Silver * Phil Hartman as Tom Morgan * Ed Gilbert as George Merry * B.J. Ward as The Queen of Hearts * Richard Erdman, Fernando Escandon, Dorian Harewood and Robert Picardo as Pirates of the Hispaniola Songs * Dream Away (performed by Kenneth 'Babyface' Edmonds and Lisa Stansfield) * Whatever You Imagine (performed by Wendy Moten) International releases For information about international dubs and releases, The Pagemaster/International. Category:1994 films Category:1990s American animated films Category:Films produced by David Kirschner Category:Films produced by Paul Gertz Category:Films directed by Joe Johnston Category:Films directed by Maurice Hunt Category:Film scores by James Horner Category:20th Century Fox films Category:20th Century Fox animated films Category:Half-Disney Feature Animation Category:Non-Disney animated films